Valley fever clinical trial announced

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — Federal officials have announced a clinical trial to study how best to treat valley fever, a potentially deadly fungal infection that is prevalent in California and Arizona.

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Posted Sep. 24, 2013 at 9:49 AM
Updated Sep 24, 2013 at 9:50 AM

Posted Sep. 24, 2013 at 9:49 AM
Updated Sep 24, 2013 at 9:50 AM

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — Federal officials have announced a clinical trial to study how best to treat valley fever, a potentially deadly fungal infection that is prevalent in California and Arizona.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health made the announcement on Monday at a symposium about the infection in Bakersfield.

The clinical trial will involve about 1,000 patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, the most common presentation of valley fever. Half of the group will receive an antibiotic and placebo; the other half will get the antibiotic plus an anti-fungal medication frequently used to treat valley fever.

Officials say the goal is to determine whether patients on the anti-fungal medication do better.